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Muse Case

A University Student’s Story Of Academic Stress And Meditation With Muse

Stress has been proven to impact student performance. In 2008, five researchers conducted a study to evaluate the impact on stress during two 8-week, 90-minutes per week training programs for college undergraduates using meditation-based stress-management programs. Their study concluded that, “Meditation-based stress-management practices reduce stress among college undergraduates.” One student who has been impacted by stress is Christine. … Continued

April 8, 2016

Student stress

Stress has been proven to impact student performance. In 2008, five researchers conducted a study to evaluate the impact on stress during two 8-week, 90-minutes per week training programs for college undergraduates using meditation-based stress-management programs. Their study concluded that, “Meditation-based stress-management practices reduce stress among college undergraduates.”

One student who has been impacted by stress is Christine. She’s a third year English and Creative Writing student at The University of Western Ontario, and she visited Student Services asking about ways to manage her stress. A psychology professor suggested that Christine try Muse since, as part of an ongoing program, they were being loaned out to students through Student Services for the purposes of stress management and meditation.

Before meditating with Muse, Christine thought that in order to meditate one had to think about absolutely nothing. She had dabbled and dropped into a few mindfulness-based meditation classes on campus, but never felt compelled to continue meditating on her own. Christine felt skeptical and unsure if meditation would really work for her.

“Meditation-based stress-management practices reduce stress among college undergraduates.” – Journal of American College Health

In her first Muse meditation session, and to her own surprise, she found herself focusing on her breath, body, posture, and the present moment. When asked about the experience and data that Muse provides Christine replied,“I thought it was pretty cool that it seems to pick up my brainwaves. At first I was frustrated at my mind being all over the place. But, it actually really worked for me over time by helping me take control of my own thoughts.”

Christine was so satisfied with her initial Muse experience that she later purchased, using a student discount, a headband through the university. After a few weeks of practice, she made Muse part of her daily routine. Once classes and day activities are over, Christine commits to at least 7 minutes of Muse meditation using the beach soundscape – her favorite. She believes the regularity of her practice has facilitated changes in her life and expressed enthusiastically,“I now notice when I feel myself get worked up, stressed out, or anxious… I just think okay… I will just think about what I do when I use Muse. I imitate that meditative state that I go into.. And now I find it’s easier to slip into that state and calm myself down.”

It’s like all of the bad feelings have been purged. I can think more clearly.”

The data is important to Christine. In the beginning she explained that her scores were variable, but over time they have been more consistent. Christine was asked if she uses Muse in moments of stress and anxiety and she responded, “Yes. Sometimes I use the Muse when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s like restarting or shutting off my brain and coming back refreshed. It’s like all of the bad feelings have been purged. I can think more clearly.”

In a different, but related study, researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Boynton Health Service surveyed 9,931 students at 14 different schools. They matched grade point averages with health problems related to stress and other factors. Of the 69.9 percent of students who reported they were stressed, 32.9 percent said that stress was hurting their academic performance.

Studies such as these are causing college campuses to provide more resources such as Muse, for example, to students to help with mindfulness based stress reduction and other stress coping programs. University of Western Ontario is one of them. Christine shared how meditating with Muse can help university students, “If someone is struggling with academic or personal stress, they need to give it a try. At first I thought this isn’t working for me, but I wasn’t really using it everyday. After a few weeks, once I worked Muse into my regular routine, I started to really notice a difference.”

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